In a Different Way (One Shot)
by Pickles and Pies
Summary: When a frightened little boy knocks on the 2J door, James and Katie, being the only ones home, help him. The two see each other in a different light.


**This idea came to me one night as I sat alone in my house because I am the only family member who doesn't play hockey. Don't know where the idea came from but hey, I take what I can get.**

 **In this oneshot, James is 23 and Katie is 21. This got longer then I expected but I still like it. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush, Teen Titans, Sam & Cat, The Hunger Games, Zootopia, or Hallmark.**

 **WARNING: Nothing is described thoroughly but there is mention of violence. Also, this is way fluffier and cheesier then I thought it would be. :/**

* * *

Katie closed the cupboard door while simultaneously pouring coffee into the cup she had gotten from said cupboard. As she placed the pot half full of hot coffee back to its spot on the machine, James came into the apartment. "It's date night. I thought you would be out with some girl," Katie stated, a little shocked, before taking a sip of her coffee.

James shrugged as he made his way into the kitchen area. "It's been a while since I spent an evening relaxing at home," he replied, taking a coffee cup from the cupboard. While pouring coffee in the cup, he glanced up at Katie. "Why aren't you on a date tonight?"

Katie huffed in annoyance before making her way to the couch. "No one will go out with me since Kyle started all those stupid rumors about me," she answered, turning on the TV to the Hallmark channel.

"He's just mad that you dumped him," James said, attempting to comfort her. He put the coffee pot back, closed the cupboard, and walked over to see what was on TV.

"I don't know why he would be," Katie half whispered. "He never wanted to hang out and he kept flirting with other girls."

James took a sip of coffee. "It's probably an ego thing." Both were silent for a moment, trying to figure out what the characters on the show were doing. "Is he chasing her or the guy that she is chasing?" James asked, sipping at his coffee.

"I thought he was chasing the dog in between the guy and the girl," Katie answered just as a light knock was heard on the 2J door. "Who would be here at 8 o'clock on a Friday?"

"Maybe it's Kyle coming to beg for your forgiveness because he realised that you are the only girl that will put up with his personality," James suggested while making his way to the door.

"Don't open the door if it is," Katie replied, chuckling.

James reached the door and looked out the peephole. He couldn't see anyone so he opened the door. He found himself looking down at a 3 year old boy. "Is everything okay Warren?" James asked, concern clearly edged in his voice.

Warren's family had moved into 3J, the neighboring apartment, about four months ago. Warren's parents often got in fights and Warren would now come over to 2J when these fights were commencing. Someone was almost always in the apartment and Mama Knight said that Warren probably felt safe and loved here, which he was.

The little boy shook his head. "Dad threw a book at Mom," he replied, sounding like he could cry. His eyes were already red and puffy so James guessed that he had been crying.

"Oh Warren," Katie said sympathetically from the couch, while motioning him in. As soon as the offer was made, Warren took off for the couch and crawled into Katie's lap. James shut the door and went into the kitchen to get Warren his favorite drink, hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. He hoped it would cheer the boy up. After the minute it took to make the hot chocolate, he sat next to Katie, handing the hot drink to Warren.

Warren gladly took the cup and took a sip before speaking. "Did I do something wrong? Is that why Mom and Dad always fight?" he asked, his voice shaky.

Katie and James both glanced at each other and set their coffees on the coffee table. "Of course not," Katie replied softly, hugging Warren a little tighter. "People don't always agree on everything."

"Even people who love eachother," James added. Warren looked him in the eye, waiting for him to explain. "Everyone is different, Warren. That means that people like different things, dislike different things, and do things differently. And people who love each other have to figure out a way to compromise the situation."

"And this is Dad and Mom's way of composizing?" Warren asked. He was still looking intently at James with his big chocolate brown eyes.

James and Katie both chuckled a little at his mispronouncition of compromise. James nodded. "Yes."

Warren was sitting on Katie's lap, facing James. The adults were sitting close together causing Warren's legs to sit on James's lap. He leaned his head on Katie's shoulder. "I wish you were my Mom and Dad," he commented, closing his eyes.

James was a little taken back. He had never thought of himself as being the fatherly type and he had certainly never thought of Katie as a mother. With her businesslike mind set and her stubborn attitude, Katie had always seemed like a fun-aunt, not a mother. James had to rethink this as he watched Katie with Warren. He realized that this was the first time that just Katie and him had been home when Warren came over. ' _It almost feels like we are a...family. No, James! Katie is supposed to be like a sister to you, not a wife,'_ he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Warren opened his eyes as James headed to the door. He opened it to reveal Warren's father. "Mr. Swanson. Warren is in here if you're looking for him," James replied, motioning behind him.

"James," the man began, seeming a little nervous. James noticed a small Teen Titans duffle bag in his hands. "I feel like I can be honest with you. Alma and I have some things that we need to work out. And I love my boy but I think it would be best if he wasn't around while we were doing so. You see, Mr. Diamond, I can be a hot head at times and I-I-"

"Neil," James interupted. He smiled knowingly at the man on the other side of the door. "We would love to have Warren stay the night."

A look of relief flooded over Neil Swanson's face. "Oh thank you, James. I'm very greatful for your generosity," he thanked, holding out the duffle filled with Warren's things.

James took it from him with a soft smile. "It's no problem," he assured. It was the truth. Neil and Alma were eighteen when Alma accidentally got pregnant. They had gotten married a few weeks after Warren was born for his sake. They were both good people, with the right intentions, who had been through a lot. Nevertheless, James couldn't help but wonder what kind of environment Warren would grow up in.

James wished Neil luck and closed the door. He turned around to see both Katie and Warren looking at him. He decided to turn this into a fun occasion for Warren. "That was your dad, Warren. And do you know what he said?"

Warren shook his head and kept looking at James with an unreadable expression.

"Well," James began, walking over to the couch. "He said that you get to have a sleepover with us."

Warren immediatly perked up. "Really?! This is going to be so much fun!" he declared while jumping off of Katie's lap, almost spilling his hot chocolate in the process. "We can watch a movie and eat popcorn and maybe play a game! Oh!" Warren hurried over to James and opened the duffle bag. He pulled out some BTR pajamas. "I can wear my favorite PJs! See James. They have you and Kendall and Logan and Carlos on them!" he exclaimed, holding them up for James to see. He then turned to Katie. "Sorry but I don't have any PJs with you on them."

Katie chuckled and stood up. "That's okay, Warren," she assured. James couldn't help but notice how sweet she was being to the excited boy. "Now let's go in the bathroom and get you changed."

"I'll go get some extra blankets from the lobby," James replied. He was wearing slicks and an old t-shirt but figured that everyone he knew would be out on dates or snuggling with their significant other behind closed doors.

Katie watched James leave before entering the bathroom with Warren. The little boy was talking 90 miles an hour about anything and everything but Katie wasn't listening very closely. She couldn't get James's expression, after Warren had said he wanted them to be his parents, out of her head. More often then not, she was home (sometimes the only one) when Warren came over. He had said that he wanted Katie to be his mom a couple times already so it clearly didn't shock her as much as it shocked James. Sure it was a little wierd to think that Warren wanted her to be his mom and James his dad but she had brushed it off as a James being the only guy in the apartmemt at the moment.

Katie couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be married to James. They had been friends forever but within the last year they had become even closer. This was due to the fact that Kendall, Logan, and Carlos all have steady, or semi-steady in Logan's case, girlfriends so James would spend more time with Katie, even when she was still dating Kyle.

While her thoughts had been miles away in a fantasy land that would never become a reality, she had manage to undress Warren and help him get his PJ bottoms on. She slid his shirt over his head as he informed her of every detail of when Camille had babysat him today. "And then Camille made turkey sandwiches and I got to help. And she invited Logan over too!" Warren exclaimed, his full attention on Katie.

"It sounds like you had a fun day," Katie replied, smiling at his energetic attitude.

Meanwhile...

The elevator dinged as the doors opened. James peeked into the lobby, trying to see who was out there. Luckily for him, not a soul was in sight. He sighed in relief before exiting the elevator. He wasn't as obsessed with his looks as he used to be but he still had a reputation to uphold. And being seen in old slicks and a t-shirt from ten years ago was not part of that reputation.

He sauntered through the lobby and to the front desk. He dinged the bell and waited for Mr. Bitters to appear. His mind wondered back to what Warren had said. He couldn't help but smile a bit at the memory. Him and Katie. Something about that made butterflies appear in his stomach. He shook his head, trying get his mind cleared.

' _Kendall would kill me if he found out that I was thinking about Katie and I being together,'_ he scolded himself. Kendall had been very protective before but since Katie and Kyle broke up, he has crossed the line into extreme, threatening, almost creepy overprotectiveness. Logan, Carlos, and even himself had gotten more protective of her too. _'I wonder if guys won't go out with her because they are scared of us,'_ James thought. The idea didn't seem all that far fetched to him.

James impatiently dinged the bell again, only this time he didn't stop. Mr. Bitters peeked his head out of his office, glaring at James. "What do you want?" he asked in annoyance.

"We need some extra blankets," James stated blankly. Mr. Bitters disappeared into his office and then reappeared a few seconds later with some blankets in his hands.

"Now leave me aloooone," he declared, tossing the blankets at James. "I'm in the middle of a Sam & Cat marathon!" Mr. Bitters stomped back into his office and slammed the door.

"You have a good night too, Mr Bitters," James mumbled as he tried to collect all the blankets in a neat order. After a few failed attempts, he managed to get the blankets half folded and in a stack. He made his way through the lobby and to the elevator, took an uneventful ride up, and entered apartment 2J.

He walked in just in time to see Warren run to the bathroom. "Make sure to use soap, Warren," Katie was saying. She was standing by the coffee table holding a small towel. On the table was a spilled cup of hot chocolate. She looked questioningly at James as he entered.

"Bitters was not in a good mood," he stated plainly.

"What's new," she replied with a huff. Katie bent over to wipe up the mess as Warren came back from the bathroom.

His expression was one of repentance. He noticed James and nervously started playing with the hem of his shirt.

James set the blankets on the couch and turned to the 3 year old. "Warren? Do you know what we do to little boys who spill their drinks?" he asked. Warren shook his head and a smile crept on James's face. "We tickle them!"

This sent Warren giggling around the apartment with James following. James caught him and began tickling his stomach. Warren laughed hard as he playfully tried to push James away.

Katie smiled as she watched the scene. _'He is really good with kids,'_ she thought, wiping up the last of the spilled hot chocolate. _'I wonder if he wants some of his own someday.'_ She put the cup in the sink and the towel in the laundry hamper. When she entered the living room again, James was no longer tickling Warren. James was now laying on his back with Warren sitting on his stomach.

Warren was still giggling as he looked up at Katie. "Katie! I beat James at wrestling!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"I can see that," Katie replied with a chuckle. She walked over and picked Warren up, off of James. "But it's getting close to bed time so you need to settle down."

"But I'm having too much fun to go to sleep!" Warren protested. Even though he wanted to play with James some more, he clung to Katie in a tight hug.

"Yeah, Katie," James said, standing up. "We are having too much fun." He smirked while running a hand through his hair.

Katie roled her eyes. She hand to smile at the two though. "I'm not saying that you have to go to sleep. I'm saying that you need to do something a little more calm. Not running around the apartment and wrestling," she reasoned. "How about we watch a movie."

Warren immediatly perked up. "Okay! I want to pick it out!" he exclaimed, sliding out of Katie's arms. He ran over to a bin in between the wall and TV stand and began rumaging through the old movies.

"You're great with Warren," James commented.

Katie had been watching the little boy but now she turned her eyes to James. She smiled. "Thanks. You are too," she returned.

The two stared into each other's eyes, slowly moving closer together. Katie was looking intently into his hazel eyes with her chocolate brown ones. James had never realized how mesmerising Katie's eyes were. Before James knew what was happening, he and Katie were so close that their bodies were almost touching. Both leaned in slowly, caught up in the moment.

"James," Warren interrupted. Both adults froze. Their faces were only inches apart, they looked at each other for a few more seconds before looking down at Warren. The boy was holding a movie case up to James. "Can we watch this? It has a flaming bird on it."

James took the case and looked at the cover. "No, Warren. This is The Hunger Games, a movie for grown ups," he explained.

"How about we watch this movie," Katie suggested, moving over to the bin. James immediatly missed her presence. She reached into the bin and pulled out Zootopia. "It's about talking animals."

Warren smiled. "Well if it has animals in it then okay!" he exclaimed, putting The Hunger Games case on the coffee table. He then proceeded to pull James to the couch.

* * *

A hour and 40 minutes later, ths ending credits rolled onto the screen with the _Try Everything_ song playing in the background. James had his left arm on the back of the couch and Katie on his left side. Warren was laying across both their laps, his head in Katie's and his legs in James's. The adults weren't sitting as close as when they were comforting Warren so the little boy's rear was resting on the small part of available couch space between them.

Warren turned his head from the screen to face James and Katie. Katie noticed how baggy his eyes were. "I love that movie!" Warren exclaimed with a yawn. "Can we watch another movie?"

"I think it's about time for bed," Katie informed, softly playing with Warren's hair. "Do you want help brushing your teeth?"

Warren nodded sleepily.

James pulled Warren up to him and picked him up. Warren rested his head on James's shoulder and closed his eyes, clearly fighting sleep. James carried the boy into the bathroom. At one point in the movie, Katie had gotten up and arranged Warren's so his toothbrush and toothpaste were already sitting by the bathroom sink.

Katie sorted threw the pile of extra blankets for a second before laying one on the couch. She retrieved an extra pillow from her bed and placed it on one end of the couch. She then placed the fluffier blanket to the side.

Jamed entered from the bathroom with a half sleeping Warren in his arms. Katie couldn't help but smile at the sight. Warren looked so peaceful and James looked so fatherly. Katie wanted to burn the image into her head. James set Warren on the makeshift bed that Katie had made and Katie placed the fluffy blanket that was set to the side over the sleeping boy. She gave him a kiss on the forehead before standing behind the couch with James.

"He looks so innocent," Katie whispered, watching Warren.

James was watching the boy too. "I suppose he is. He's too young to understand all of what's happening. He hasn't been affected by the darkness that our world has come to," he replied. The couple were standing only inches apart.

"Although," Katie began slowly. "His world consists of the Palm Woods, his father and mother, and us, he has experienced his fair share of darkness."

The adults fell silent, watching the peacefull child. "Well," Katie finally spoke up. "I'm going to bed. Night." And with that, she walked into the hallway and entered her room.

* * *

Katie awoke to a small body cuddling against her. She was awake enough to realise it was Warren. "Warren?" she asked sleepily. "What are you doing here?"

"He got scared," came a soft, deep voice from the doorway. Katie looked over to see James standing there. "He slept with me for over an hour before deciding that he wanted to sleep in your bed."

"Kay," Katie replied, turning toward Warren and away from James.

The popstar stood in the doorway for a second watching the young woman. Something happened to him tonight. He didn't know what but whenever he saw Katie, he couldn't help but smile. He had seen her motherly side and he was apparently attracted to it. Shaking his head, he closed the door.

Katie heard the door close as the room went black. She could hear Warren's breathing. "Katie," he quietly whispered.

Katie mumbled a "what", still half asleep.

"Do you like James like Jo likes Kendall?" he asked. The question caught Katie off guard but she was suddenly more awake. "You look at him like Jo looks at Kendall."'

'Either this kid is extremely observant or I am as readable as an open book,' Katie thought. "I don't know, Warren. I might like him like that. I'm just confused."

"Why?" he asked with a yawn.

Katie smiled. "You'll understand when you're older. Now, you need to get to sleep."

Warren didn't say another word but cuddled closer to Katie. Katie replayed the previous day in her mind. It made her feel all warm and gooey inside. The feeling kinda scared her. She loved her friendship with James and feared that this feeling would change it. 'I'll have to see what the future holds, I guess,' was her last thought before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **Hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **Please leave a review if you can. ;)**_

 _ **~ Pickles**_


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